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“I thought we’d break it up, maybe work in a modified version of your dream beach vacation. That’s why you want to see Hawaii, right? The beautiful beaches? Or were you interested in the volcanoes? Oregon has those too.”
“The beaches,” she murmured, turning her attention to some distant point out the window. “And I want to see the ocean. But—”
“If we have time to stop in Northern Cali before we head south to rescue a woman who might not need our help—”
“She does,” Caroline said firmly.
“I believe you. But if we have time to visit your number one enemy—”
“I didn’t say—”
“Wild guess,” he said dryly. “If we have time for that asshole, we can take a detour to the scenic route and spend the night by the beach.”
“Sleep on the sand under the stars?” she murmured.
“If that’s what you want. I was thinking more along the lines of a hotel with a view of the water. Maybe a balcony.”
“Josh, I’ve spent the past year washing dishes. Noah’s been generous, paying me more than he should, but—”
“My date. My treat. Two rooms with a view of the ocean,” he said firmly. “Plus, I’m hoping you’ll be so relaxed that you’ll forget all about stopping to visit the past.”
“I can’t,” she said simply.
Yeah, he’d been afraid she’d say that.
“Caroline,” he said. “There’s nothing but trouble waiting for you if you try to see him. What are you hoping to get out of this side trip? An apology? He owes you a helluva lot more than that. And from what you’ve told me, what Noah’s told me, I wouldn’t put it past the bastard to call the police if you show up on his goddamn doorstep.”
“I’m not going to talk to him—”
“Good,” he said firmly.
“But . . .”
Josh sighed. Yeah, he’d known there was a ‘but’ at the end of that statement.
“I need to know once and for all if he’s after me,” she added.
“All right,” he said grudgingly. “But I’m going with you.”
She nodded. “Of course.”
He reached for the radio and tuned to the first station he found that played something other than country. “Now sit back and enjoy the ride. Imagine how the sand will feel between your toes.”
Chapter 9
CAROLINE SURVEYED THE exit routes while Josh secured their rooms. But mentally mapping the hotel’s exterior from the truck proved challenging. Three large brown rectangular buildings surrounded the parking area and the rooms lining the three stories all faced out. The ones on the far side had a spectacular view of the water while the others looked out on rows and rows of parked vehicles. She could hear the ocean beyond the structures, but she’d have to get out of the truck if she wanted to see the waves.
Glancing around the empty parking lot, she opened the passenger side door and slipped out. She headed for a cement path between two buildings filled with guest rooms. Carefully maintained grass covered the ground behind the hotel leading to a row of thick hedges.
“I have good news and bad news.”
Josh spoke from behind her. He wasn’t close. Not yet. And she’d spent enough time with Josh to know that he possessed a healthy respect for her personal space.
“What’s the bad news?” she demanded, her mind running through worst-case scenarios. The hotel staff had demanded her government issued identification . . . The oceanfront resort was out of rooms so they’d have to sleep in the bed of the pickup . . .
“Just a minute, Ms. Doom and Gloom, I’m starting on a high note,” he said. “See that structure down there? Just visible beyond the hedges, directly on the sand?”
She nodded. The small triangular cottage looked as if one big wave might wash it away into the sea.
